• K A Douglas and M E McKelvey.
• Department of Respiratory Care, Toledo Hospital, OH 43606.
• J Perinatol. 1991 Dec 1; 11 (4): 336-9.

AbstractManual ventilation of neonates suffering from respiratory distress is frequently performed in the hospital setting. The authors hypothesized that without manometer feedback present, experienced neonatal intensive care therapists cannot accurately estimate ventilating pressures. We also speculated that with rate feedback present, this same group could match a given ventilatory rate. Thirty respiratory therapists (RTs) were instructed to match the ventilating pressures and rates for two animal models receiving ventilatory support. Each animal was ventilated at high pressure settings: peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) 25 cm H2O, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 5 cm, and a rate of 60 breaths per minute; the low pressure settings were PIP 16 cm H2O, PEEP 3 cm, and a rate of 20 breaths per minute. There was essentially no replication of the desired PIP values. PEEP levels were constant in the study population, but there was no accuracy in relation to the targets. Rate accuracy was good with the higher rate, but there was some statistical deviation from the given lower rate for both models. We conclude that in the presence of a cycling ventilator set at the desired rate, this group of therapists could replicate the cycling rate. However, without a means for feedback of ventilating pressures, dictated pressures could not be matched.

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